


In the Afterlife

by littlehawkeye



Category: Iron Man (Comic), Marvel 616
Genre: Afterlife, F/M, angel!Rumiko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2013-11-16
Packaged: 2018-01-01 17:52:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlehawkeye/pseuds/littlehawkeye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his apparent death, Tony is lost in the realm between life and heaven. With an endless trek through darkness, he meets someone familiar. But he for the life of him cannot remember who she is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Afterlife

Darkness. That's all Tony was able to see. But for some reason, there was an unexplained force causing him to move in a single direction. Where he was going, he had no idea. 

What was he doing here? 

He could have sworn he was with friends...at least, he thought they were his friends? He certainly couldn't remember. 

Why couldn't he remember anything? There had to be a good reason why he could not remember anything at all. But that thought was for another lifetime. 

Tony's cerulean colored eyes gazed around the darkness and there was still nothingness. Where the hell was he going? He just sighed and continued the trek with the force pulling him.

That is, until he noticed a white light in front of him. The light at the end of the tunnel, as he sorta remembered the saying. So, he really was dead, or on the brink of it. This was how the Great Tony Stark's reign ends. With him not remembering much of what happened. Typical.

The engineer continued his way, glancing around to see if there was anything else that could gain his attention. Sadly there was not, but that light in front of him was definitely getting brighter...and closer? How could the light be getting closer at such a fast pace?

Tony shielded his eyes from the intensifying light. It came right at him then quickly changed its course as it flew upward. 

“What the hell...?” Tony said quietly to himself, still shielding himself from the light. 

“Tony Stark!” came a voice from the...light? The light was actually talking to him. 

“I'm going crazy. Lights can't talk,” Tony said and he would have continued talking about the properties of light, but he was interrupted. 

“Oh my God, you have not changed at all!” the voice said again as the light descended and started to take shape.

The light formed a woman in what looked like a white flowing summer dress. Her smile was pristine, perfect almost. The raven-black waves of hair flowed behind and onto her shoulders, her bangs separated by a white headband. Golden hoops hung from the woman's ears. She also had wings, large pearl white feathers which shone brightly even in the darkness. The woman, angel?, walked over to him, placing a hand on his cheek, the smile still placed perfectly onto her features. 

Tony's eyes watched her every moment. The way she held his cheek, the way her wings shimmered. This was definitely surreal, and he was definitely dead. Although, the woman in front of him did look oddly familiar. If only he could remember her.

“You don't remember me, do you?” she asked, her smile becoming less pronounce and looking rather weak now. 

All Tony could do was frown in return and shake his head. His gaze went elsewhere.

Despite being sad just a second ago, she perked up immediately and took his hand squeezing gently. “Oh, that doesn't matter anyways. All that does matter is the fact that you can't be done yet.”

His brow rose curiously as she spoke. “Aha, sorry sweetie. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm dead. Might as well just keep it like this. I lost so much as it is.”

The angel just placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “Tony, if you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, you will not get out of here! Believe me when I say that you have a lot more stuff to do on Earth. Your time to die has not come yet. Now you better get your ass back there, or so help me, I will make you go back!”

Tony just laughed gently. “Alright, humor me, honey. How am I supposed to get back if I'm here? There aren't really any doors for me to take. So, do tell.”

She just smiled, which kind of scared Tony. Is she up to something?

“Oh, Tony. Scientist extraordinaire, Iron Man, billionaire, and futurist. But you're still so close minded. You need to open it up to get back! How do you think Steve got back? He didn't just sit on his ass! Of course, that's a different story, which we unfortunately have no time for,” she said with a bright smile, the red of her lipstick shimmered against her pearly whites and tan skin. 

Who the hell is she? Why is she so familiar?

He decided to speak up about her. “Hey, angel? How do I know you? You seem really familiar, but I have no idea who you are.”

This really did break the angel's heart. She just smirked a bit, placing her hands on her hips, tipping her head to the side. “Oh lover, you probably won't remember even if I tell you. But I suppose I should just humor you. Fujikawa-” she started off. 

Tony just stared at her as she spoke. Fujikawa? Sounded familiar, but there was no dice. 

“Rumiko Fujikawa,” Rumiko said, her signature smirk and stance made its appearance once again. “I guess you can say we were a thing a while ago...God, it feels like a millennium ago. But hey, what can you do when you die by an Iron Man imposter.”

He just listened to her, highly intrigued. It sounded so familiar. “Damn it... Keep talking, Rumiko? It feels like it's coming together. Fuck, I really, really want to remember!”

Rumiko grinned then started walking with him in the opposite direction from where he was going towards. “Well, I can just give you a brief history of us? Or of why you can't remember anything. Take your pick, lover.”

Tony laughed then. “Lover? I take it you weren't joking about us being together. And uh...go ahead and talk about whatever until your heart's content?”

She clapped her hands, bracelets clinking together when she did. “So much to catch you up on, Tony! The real question is just, where do I start!? Maybe the beginning would be a good spot,” she said, smiling a bit then started to tell him /everything/. From when they first met, to the last moment they had together. Her smile faltered when she finished. “I remember you telling me you had something very important to tell me during dinner. But you never told me, Tony. Then you wanted me to come by because, again, you had to tell me something. I never did find out what you wanted to tell me,” she said sadly, her brown orbs looking away from Tony as she sighed. Almost immediately, she perked up, the grin appeared on her features once again. “The big guy did tell me what you were planning on doing, Tony. You idiot, you should have just asked me instead of doing some big fancy thing! Too bad you don't remember that either.” She frowned. 

Tony was somewhat lost since he had no idea what she's talking about. He frowned as well then sighed, taking her hands. “Rumiko, it sounds like we had an amazing time together. But I really can't remember any of what you just told me. All I know is that my name's Tony and I'm dead.”

Rumiko sighed exasperatedly, glancing up towards the...nothingness. “Come on! Give me something to work with here! Just a little leeway? At least let his spirit remember things!”

He blinked. Who was she talking to, and why? “Rumiko? You're just talking into blackness. There's nothing here...” Tony said, looking around just in case there really was something around that she was talking to. 

“You say that now, Tony. But, I was talking to the big man upstairs! I am an angel after all. Just...calling for a favor!”

Tony had no idea what she was talking about. There was no such thing as God anyways. He was a man of science! At least, that was what Rumiko's story of his “life” told him as much. Then again, Rumiko was right in front of him, wings and all. Maybe...just maybe.

All of a sudden, like a crack of lightning, Tony felt a pinch at the base of his head, which then turned into a full blown migraine. Grabbing at his head, he grunted as the pain seemed to intensify. “W-What the fuck's going on...” he mumbled out then shouted out in pain immediately afterward.

Rumiko placed her hand on his forehead, trying to take the pain away from her beloved. “Hey! Did you really have to make it so painful? Hey, lover, you okay? Sorry about that, He likes to play jokes sometimes.”

Tony's eyes opened soon after and he gazed at Rumiko. “Ru...” he said softly then caressed her cheek gently. The engineer quickly kissed her on the lips then pulled back looking at her again. “Oh Ru...Oh my God, Ru. I missed you so much. You have no idea!” Tony laughed faintly, his hand still against her soft cheek. His precious Rumiko was with him again. 

Ru laughed gently, returning the kiss just as gently and quickly as Tony had done it. “Oh, now you decide to make an appearance. Good,” she whispered softly, resting her forehead against his. “Tony...I've missed this so damned much. But, you can't stay here. Like I told you, you have to go back. Your time hasn't come yet. Just think of it like this, when it is your time, we'll be able to be together for all eternity.” 

He frowned, his arms wrapping around her tightly, just like they had been when he lost her years ago. “Ru, do I really have to? I mean, we're finally together again! I really, really do not want to go, Ru.”

“Tony, you have a great mind. Believe me, you're destined for greatness. Plus, we can't just hog you up here, can we?” she said with a wink, but it was short lived. “I love you, Tony. And I'll always love you no matter what.”

The breath he released hitched in his throat as he just wanted to hold her. He did not want to lose her again. Once was already enough. He swallowed hard and just closed his eyes, nodding once. Tony looked away as a weak smile appeared on his tired face. “Alright...I'm ready to go. But, before I do go...” he paused, pressing his lips against hers gently.

She kissed him back just as gently, smiling weakly against it as tears fell. Her hand raised and caressed his cheek gently. It was all so familiar to what they used to do. And it hurt so damn much. Almost like being burned, she pulled back quickly, taking in a shaky breath, the weak smile still on her face. “T-Time for you to go no, Tony.”

Tony just nodded once, still not really wanting to go. Rumiko did tell him that he was still not done on Earth, so perhaps he will try to figure out what she means.

Just then, he noticed something really odd about his hand that was still holding onto one of hers. It was...disappearing? “Ru...?” he asked, taking his hand out of hers and holding it up, watching as it vanished, same thing was happening to his other hand. 

Rumiko stood there, still smiling weakly. “He's sending you back to your body, lover. I'm actually surprised it took him this long, to be honest.”

“Rumiko...I really don't want to leave you,” Tony said calmly, although he was far from calm. He could feel his heart beating up a storm and he was just so frustrated that Rumiko couldn't come back with him. “Wait! Can you come back?” he asked rather hopeful, even though he most likely knew the answer. 

She shook her head. “My time was done, lover,” she said sadly, watching as his legs started to vanish as well. Rumiko swallowed sadly, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Tony... I'll always be with you. Even if you can't see me. I'll be there, watching over you.”

He wished he could have said something. But of course, the next thing to go was his mouth and soon his whole entire head was gone, along with his body. Again, he didn't get a chance to say the most important thing to her. And again, he never will. 

Rumiko closed her eyes, tears falling. “I love you,” she mouthed out, disappearing in a flash of white light. 

=X=

It was dark again. Tony was getting tired of darkness. Where was all the light? Wait...someone calling out for him? Sounds familiar. 

He opened his eyes a bit, taking in a very bright light and groaned as he was not adjusted to the intensity. 

“Oh my God...!” a voice shouted. “He's waking up!”

Groaning again, he blocked out the light as best as he can with his hand. “Yeah, I'm awake. Move the light, will you?” 

Once the light was moved (or dimmer, Tony really couldn't tell which one it was. He was just glad it was out of his eyes), he had his eyes readjust and looked around. “Pepper, Rhodey, Maria,” he started off then looked to the other side of his body to the others standing there, “Bucky, Strange.” 

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Ton',” Rhodey said, grinning a bit, completely happy that his best friend was back. 

Pepper laughed weakly then placed a kiss on his forehead. “Don't go deleting your brain again, boss. You really gave us all a heart attack. Especially with your fight with Norman.”

Too bad Tony didn't remember any of that. As it turned out, his memory (which he thankfully had backed up) only went up to the point right after he received Extremis. All he did was frown, sighing as well. 

Trying to get up, he realized that something did in fact feel off. Looking to his chest, he noticed there was an object imbedded into his chest. “What the...”

His best friend tried to calm him down before he went into shock, or whatever. “Alright, before you go off the deep end, you took Pep's RT node that was in her chest, and it was surgically implanted into you, Tony. According to what Pepper told me, that thing is what's keeping you alive and breathing since your brain doesn't remember it.”

Tony sat up, still looking down at his chest. His friends tried to get him to lay back down, but he just couldn't sit still. He tried to get out of his bed, succeeding thankfully. Walking to the door, he turned his head and grinned. 

“I just can't sit in bed, guys. I have a lot of shit to get done.”


End file.
